On Wednesday March 20, local residents were provided an opportunity to hear a status report on activities related to the Columbia River Treaty( CRT).
The Columbia River Treaty Local Government’s Committee and the Columbia Basin Trust have prepared a Summary of Canadian Dam and Reservoir Issues.
These issues are listed in two broad categories:
1) Historical/Footprint issues
2) Current Operations issues
There are Basin-Wide Issues listed under Current Operations and Issues Common to most sub regions under Footprint and Current Operations.
Specifically and the main reason for this letter is to highlight the issues identified for the Kinbasket Reservoir. I encourage every resident, recent arrivals and long term residents, to become engaged,and to become vocal about these issues as they will impact our future, our children’s and our grandchildren’s futures here in Golden and Area A.
Some examples;
Footprint Issue: ‘Impacts to Forest Industry’; lack of transportation infrastructure, loss of productive timber lands and high cost of maintaining the existing transportation network.
Current Operations: Road infrastructure and reservoir access/ Fisheries/Fluctuating water levels limit recreation and tourism potential/Inadequate campgrounds.
Financial: Non-Treaty Storage Agreement/ Payment in lieu of taxes.
Many of these items are under discussion but are your views being heard and considered? You can have an impact, find out more by exploring www.cbt.org/crt and www.gov.bc.ca/columbiarivertreaty. You can also connect with two local residents; Grant Arlt and Randy Priest who, I understand are sitting on a Sounding Board to provide local input.
The future economic well being of our community is under consideration, we need to provide input to engage our politicians to ensure we have a viable future.
Yours etc.
M. Cantle
Golden
